Family Happiness
by Reese1
Summary: Dana leaves the earth with her friends on the eve of the Invid invasion, headed for a reunion with her parents.
1. Born From Love

On the night of their wedding, Max and Miriya Sterling made love for the first time.  
  
Neither of them had experienced sexual intercourse before; it was something completely new to them, like exploring uncharted waters. Both of them were nervous at first, but as they grew more comfortable with each other's bodies, they melded together perfectly. Miriya felt herself touched by Max in ways she had never imagined being touched. Max's gentle caresses and kisses elicited in her sensations she had never known, and it greatly aroused her.  
  
Holding down Miriya's arms, Max pinned her to the bed and kissed her with a kiss that communicated to her all of his hunger and longing for her. He had yearned for her long before he had even met her; he had yearned for the angel he had only known in his dreams until now. He whispered these things into her ear, and she listened with rapt attention. Tortured with pleasure, Miriya writhed and moaned beneath her husband. Her loins ached for him--ached for something she inwardly knew that only he could satisfy. Their bodies fit each other precisely, as if each had been created for the other. The newlyweds found the excitement from their lovemaking building higher and higher, until the point when Miriya arched her back, stretched out every limb of her body, and felt herself convulsing uncontrollably with pleasure. Max entered her and filled her with his seed.  
  
From this seed, from this night, a child would one day be born.  
  
Exhausted, Max and Miriya lay on their sides, facing each other on the bed. In the darkness, they looked at one another in the starlight that faintly shone in through the windows of their private quarters.  
  
"I think we're going to have to soundproof our room," Max winked at his wife. He wondered how much Rick had heard from the next room. Probably everything.  
  
Miriya blushed faintly, remembering the carnal cry she had involuntarily screamed at the moment of her orgasm.  
  
"Let them hear, I don't care," Miriya said softly, stroking Max's face.  
  
Max smiled. Beneath the bed covers, he stroked Miriya's naked breast and watched her close her eyes in pleasure.  
  
"My heart is beating so fast," Miriya said.  
  
Max slowly moved his hand up Miriya's breast, trailing his fingertips along her neck, her chin, and her cheek. He caressed her face lovingly.  
  
"Mine too," Max murmured.  
  
He was living a dream. Any moment now, he would wake up, and the wonderful dream would be over. Always, when it seemed like this beautiful woman who lay happily in his arms would cruelly vanish before his eyes, the moment would pass, and she would still be there.  
  
"You're here," Max said.  
  
"I'm here," Miriya whispered.  
  
It was a strange feeling. So this is what it means to have a special someone all for your own, Max thought to himself. This woman lying with him belonged to him. Belonged to him. Max thought about what that meant. These two people, who came from opposite ends of the galaxy, were made for each other. Destiny had brought them together. They would always be together. They would share their innermost thoughts with one another. They would share their bodies with one another. They would share in every joy and sorrow of life's journey.  
  
"Someday, Miriya," Max affectionately whispered to her, "someday, when we're at peace, we'll settle down in a nice place and have a family. We'll have children of our very own."  
  
"Children?" Miriya did not understand.  
  
Max kissed Miriya on the lips. Miriya moaned and pulled his body closer to her own.  
  
"This is how we create a new life, Miriya," Max explained with great tenderness. "When a man and a woman love each other, like we do, when our bodies come together as one, sometimes the seeds of a new life are planted. It doesn't happen all the time, but when it does, it results in a child. A child who will one day grow up to be like you and me."  
  
"How very interesting," Miriya said wistfully. "You and me, creating a new life together. It sounds wonderful."  
  
"One day, we'll have a child, and we're going to love this child. I know we will."  
  
"Yes," Miriya said as she kissed her husband again and thought about all the mysterious and wonderful things she had heard and experienced. Only days before, Miriya had been consumed with thoughts of killing her micronian rival. She had shrunk herself to micronian size and come to the SDF-1, hoping to find the one ace pilot who had defeated her in battle. When she met Max Sterling and played a videogame match against him, she knew instinctively that this man was the one. Her desire for revenge subsumed the strange, alien attraction she felt for him. And at the moment of her final humiliation, when she faced her death with abject despair, something amazing had happened. Max's love stirred something in her soul, and she discovered the joy of loving another person.  
  
Within Miriya's womb, a new life had begun, and one day soon, the onetime ruthless warrior would discover the joy of motherhood.  
  
* * *  
  
Dana Sterling stood in front of the clothing store window on a street in the city of Denver and stared at the lovely white wedding dress she saw in the window. All around her, the citizens appeared in a mad rush to leave. Only hours before, the civil alert systems had come on, notifying the city that everyone was to evacuate at once. An alien force, presumably the Invid, was on its way and would soon invade the earth. All major population centers needed to be evacuated at once. Amidst the disorderly bustle and the noise, the wedding dress in the window caught Dana's attention. She wondered if her mother had worn a dress like this on her wedding. It had been a long time since Dana had looked at her parents' wedding pictures. Staring at her reflection in the window, she wondered what she would look like in a dress like this one. In her mind, Dana pictured herself spinning slowly in a full circle, showing off her wedding dress to her mother and father.  
  
"Look mom, look dad, isn't this dress beautiful? I'm getting married, can you believe it?"  
  
Oh, get real, Dana said to herself. You're not wearing this dress. You're not getting married. Your romantic prospects are pretty dim at the moment. The last guy you liked ended up killing himself in a gigantic explosion over the ruins of the SDF-1. You'll be an old maid for sure. You haven't even seen your parents in almost ten years. Just get real.  
  
"Dana," a voice shook Dana from her melancholic daydream.  
  
Dana turned around to face Angelo Dante, who had a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"What are you doing, just standing there like that?"  
  
"Uh, nothing, Angie."  
  
The tough old sergeant looked at Dana searchingly. He thought of saying something ironic about the wedding dress but remembered that she probably still hadn't gotten over Zor yet. Just thinking about how that lunatic Zor had hurt her made Angelo so mad, he would strangle him if he weren't already dead. Best to stick to business, Angelo decided.  
  
"Well, if you're ready, there's no reason to hang around this town any longer. We gotta get to the airfield. Louie and Marie are prepping our ship for immediate space flight, as we speak. Everyone's on board-Sean, Bowie, Musica, and Allegra. Are you ready to go now?"  
  
Dana took one last look at the dress and tore herself away from it at last.  
  
"Yes, Angie."  
  
With that, Dana and Angelo joined the crowd in the mass exodus from Denver.  
  
* * *  
  
The moment everyone dreaded had come at last. On board the SDF-3, the moment of goodbye had arrived. Final boarding of the SDF-3 for its hyperspace flight to the home world of the Robotech Masters had begun, and everyone not going had to remain in earth's orbit in the Robotech factory satellite. Max and Miriya were among the last to leave.  
  
Young Dana Sterling, a child of nine, sobbed inconsolably as she hugged her kneeling father.  
  
"Don't leave me behind, dad," Dana urged.  
  
Kneeling beside them was Miriya, trying her best to put on a brave face.  
  
Wiping away his own tears, Max Sterling smiled and caressed his daughter's forehead and cheek.  
  
"Listen, Dana, we've gone over this before."  
  
"I know, but it just doesn't make sense to me."  
  
"We have to go, Dana," Max pointed out the window to the distant stars. "Out there is Tirol, the home world of the Robotech Masters. We have to find them and make peace with them, for the sake of everyone's future. If we don't, there will only be more war, until the earth is completely destroyed. This mission is very dangerous. It's possible we may never return alive."  
  
"All the more reason to take me with you."  
  
"No, Dana. We couldn't live with ourselves knowing that we put you in danger. If you were to be hurt or killed, why, I don't know what I'd do."  
  
"Dana," Miriya said. Dana released her father and turned to her mother.  
  
"You'll be safer here," Miriya said. "There will be people here to take care of you. I promise you we will do everything we can to come back to you. More amazing things have happened before. Always remember how your father and I came together and fell in love. If you can remember the miracle of your father and I, you can have hope that all things in life are possible. We'll be together again, Dana. I promise."  
  
"Promise?"  
  
"Promise."  
  
Dana embraced her mother. "I love you, mom."  
  
For the first time since the night Max had proposed to her, Miriya cried. Her tears came down freely and profusely. This was her own flesh and blood; she had carried this child within her. All of Miriya's memories of Dana came back to her, from the moment she was born, to her first words, and her first steps. Each 'first' had created in Miriya's heart a profound happiness. She discovered that everything Max had spoken to her on the night of their wedding, when they had made love for the first of many times, was all true. Every little experience she had shared with Dana came back to her in a heartbeat. All the laughs they had shared over dinner. All the times Miriya had kissed her daughter good night. The thought that she could lose all of this happiness filled Miriya's heart with an intense, sweet sorrow and exquisite longing. She knew that in spite of the love she enjoyed with Max, the two of them would never feel as complete as they did with the presence of their daughter. So this is what it means to be a mother, Miriya thought to herself in wonder. This is what it means for a mother to love her child.  
  
"I love you too, Dana," Miriya said, her voice choking with a myriad of strange emotions. She wished she could put into words the depth of her love for her, but her eloquence failed her completely.  
  
Mother and daughter held each other tightly, frozen in time, until finally, they had to separate. Dana watched solemnly as her parents turned to leave for the SDF-3. With a final wave, they were gone from her sight, and a new life had begun for the child of Max and Miriya Sterling. 


	2. Leaving Home

The SDF-3 was leaving now. With a great shudder, the engines came to life and the great hulking ship took the fateful first steps of its journey, a journey that would take its occupants across the galaxy, tearing them far away from all that they once knew and loved. Miriya pressed her hands against the window on the observation deck and stared intently back at the Robotech Factory Satellite and the earth. With each second, the satellite receded further and further from view. Each second took them one more step away from Dana. She leaned in so close to the glass that she could see her breath condense and vanish on the pane.  
  
"I love you, mom," the precious voice replayed itself in Miriya's head. She heard that small voice again and again, and the emotions evoked in her heart were so powerful that she trembled. It was all she could do to suppress the urge to stop the ship and turn back, sweep her daughter into her arms, and hold her against her breast. Yes, Miriya would bind her close to her heart and never let go. She would express in words what she failed to say at the final moment of their parting.  
  
How could I think of letting you go, Dana? How could I conceive of leaving you behind? How could I release you from my loving arms, after all that you brought into our lives?  
  
In a flash, Miriya conjured a hundred images of moments she had shared with Dana and Max. They were walking down the streets of New Macross together, pushing little Dana in a stroller. It was a beautiful day, and Max, scooping Dana out of the stroller, lifted her into the air with both hands, so that Dana was between himself and Miriya. There was so much joy in that moment. For an instant, Miriya fancied that she would give up a lifetime without Dana for just one more moment like that with her. One more moment in time that would live forever and always bring a smile to her when she remembered it.  
  
"I love you, Dana," Miriya whispered into the glass, her eyes still focused on the world they were leaving behind. "I love you so much."  
  
Every breath you took, every smile I saw on your face, and even every tear of sadness was precious to me. For you were once a part of me, Dana. We raised you in our image. We showered our love upon you, for you were born out of our love.  
  
Without even looking, Miriya sensed Max step in behind her and slowly wrap his arms around her waist. She smiled and pressed her hands on his. They stood together in silence.  
  
"I know what you're thinking about," Max broke the silence. "And I'm thinking the same thing."  
  
"Isn't that why we're so good together?" Miriya said with a bittersweet smile. "We know what each other is thinking, without even saying anything."  
  
"Mmm, hmm," Max murmured, bending his head toward hers and gently kissing her on the neck.  
  
"Tell me what I'm thinking," Miriya said.  
  
"You're worried," Max offered calmly, "You're worried that you've made a terrible mistake. Nothing in your life has ever been harder for you to do."  
  
Miriya smiled. It was true. Compared to the challenge of shooting down Max Sterling's blue Veritech, leaving her daughter behind was infinitely more painful and difficult.  
  
Who would have thought, Miriya mused. Who would have thought my heart would be transformed so?  
  
"She's our daughter," Miriya said. "What if we never see her again?"  
  
Miriya lost her composure and felt her body racked by sobs. She turned around and buried her face in Max's shoulder. Max shut his eyes and held his wife close to his heart.  
  
"Miriya, we're at a crossroads in our life together. Sometimes there's no way to know for sure what is the right or wrong thing to do. If we brought Dana with us, she might have been killed. Of course she could still be in danger on earth, too. We weighed the risks and played the odds. All we can do now is hope that we did the right thing. We'll find a way, darling. Somehow, we'll find her again."  
  
* * *  
  
"All right, we're all here," Angelo Dante announced to Marie Crystal, who was assigned the task of piloting their ship away from earth.  
  
Marie Crystal, seated in the pilot's seat in the cockpit, looked over to Sean Phillips, who sat lounging in the copilot's chair. Sean cocked an eyebrow at her.  
  
"Well, take her away, darlin,'" he drawled.  
  
Marie smiled at her newfound love and, with a series of activated switches, the engines roared to life, and the countdown to takeoff began. Everyone on board strapped themselves in. In the passenger hold, Dana sat next to Angelo and Louie. Seated across from her were Bowie, Musica, and Allegra. As the countdown ticked down to zero and the ship blasted off into space, Dana shut her eyes and remembered her last conversation with Vanessa Leeds.  
  
* * *  
  
Two weeks had passed since the destruction of Monument City and the deaths of Vanessa's husband Bron and daughter Samantha, the two people she had loved more than anyone on earth. A harsh wind blew across the pitiless landscape. The train waited silently on the track, ready to take Vanessa south, to a new life.  
  
As Dana stood alone outside of the train with Vanessa, she could not help but be reminded of a similar moment of farewell in her life. Except this time, there was no held out promise of an eventual reunion. This time, it was goodbye forever. As she gazed into Vanessa's eyes, Dana thought about the woman she had come to call her Aunty. She and Vanessa had spent a great deal of time together. In her childhood, Vanessa had almost been like a mother to her. As more and more time passed since the departure of the SDF-3, Dana's memories of her parents grew increasingly distant. But Vanessa, who had known both Max and Miriya, was her one true link to her parents. Dana used to come over to Vanessa's house and play with little Samantha. Vanessa would tell funny and touching stories about Max and Miriya.  
  
Dana, did your father ever tell you that he once asked me out? This was long before he and your mother even met. Max asked me out and I turned him down, can you believe it?  
  
Dana, your parents had the most beautiful wedding. They were so happy and so young.  
  
Dana, when you were born, your mother was so beautiful and so radiant. When Kim, Sammie, and I went over to their place to see you for the first time, your mother held you like a precious treasure. She was so proud of you. Look at this wonderful child Max and I created, she'd say. Isn't she amazing?  
  
Dana felt a lump forming in her throat. A lifetime of memories flashed through her mind in a matter of seconds.  
  
"I'm leaving, Aunty," Dana said. "I'm going to go and find my family. I have a sister now, did I tell you?"  
  
Vanessa smiled. "I'm very happy for you," she said sweetly.  
  
A thought that had long lingered in Dana's mind at last came to the fore.  
  
"Aunty," she said.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"What do you think? Do you think I measured up? After everything that my parents accomplished, I must be a pretty big letdown, huh?"  
  
"Don't ever think that," Vanessa said with sincerity and gentleness. "Your parents left you here for a reason, though not one that they had in mind. You had a role to play in the war with the Robotech Masters, and you played the part you were meant to play. You might not feel like it, but you made a difference here. You're a hero, Dana. You'll always be a hero in my eyes. If your mother and father were here, they would be so proud of you, I know they would."  
  
Dana smiled bitterly.  
  
"But I failed," she said. "The Invid are coming, and there's nothing I can do about it. I'm leaving, but I feel guilty. I feel like I'm running away."  
  
"You did everything you could," Vanessa replied. "We'll make it through somehow. I know we will. And I know you'll come back someday."  
  
"I wish you didn't have to leave here so soon," Dana said. "I wish you could stay with me. If you came with us, you could be with old friends again. You don't have to be alone. You've always been like family to me."  
  
"This city," Vanessa gestured to the ruins of Monument City where the last battle had been fought and where her family had died, "is too painful for me now. I am constantly being reminded of the family and friends I lost. My old life is gone. It's time to start over, and leave my old life behind. That's why I have to leave this place."  
  
"You could come with us. You could still change your mind."  
  
The sad look in Vanessa's eyes broke Dana's heart. The woman had lost so much. Dana wished above all that Vanessa would find happiness, if such a thing were still possible in a war-torn world like this one.  
  
"My place is here. I'm getting too old for space adventure, anyway."  
  
"You know what will happen if you stay."  
  
Dana looked around. Monument City was a city of ruins. Around the barren plains, Dana could still see spores of the Invid flower of life floating through the air, carried by the wind. It was a portent for the future. The Invid would come, in spite of Zor Prime's misguided sacrifice. The Invid would come and humanity would be overwhelmed. After the war with the Robotech Masters, the fight was gone from humanity. How would the earth survive this ordeal? How would Vanessa be able to go on with her life?  
  
"This is my home," Vanessa said. "If the Invid are coming, then let them come. I'm not afraid of anything, anymore. I want to be here when it happens. Maybe I can be of some help."  
  
Dana gazed at Vanessa with newfound admiration. It seemed to her that every time Dana spoke to her, she found something new in her that she hadn't seen before. Vanessa's heart was broken, but she remained strong. No painful loss was too great for her to overcome. And in that moment, Dana instinctively knew that Vanessa would end up in a place where she belonged, a place where she would make a difference in the lives that she touched.  
  
Stepping forward, Dana held out her arms and embraced Vanessa for the last time. She held the friend whom she fondly called "Aunty" and whom she had loved as a mother. Dana tried her best to imprint in her mind all the sensations and emotions of their last moment together.  
  
"Goodbye, Aunty," Dana said.  
  
I will carry my memory of you wherever I go. I will always honor and love you. I will always cherish our relationship, Vanessa. Always.  
  
So many words remained unspoken, expressed only in the simple gesture of Dana's hug.  
  
"Take care of yourself, Little Dana," Vanessa said, evoking memories of Dana's childhood, "I love you."  
  
As Dana watched the train carry Vanessa away to a new life, her thoughts turned to the journey she would soon be making. She would find her parents and meet her new sister. The little girl who had spoken to Dana in her dream was such a cute little thing. She seemed so smart. What was her name? What was she like?  
  
We'll be together again, the words once spoken by Miriya echoed in Dana's mind. I promise. 


	3. Light

With a feeling of abject despair and helpless anger, Dana Sterling silently watched the terrifying pillar of light descend upon the earth. She stood on the observation deck of the ship she had commandeered, along with the friends she had made during her time in the 15th Squadron. Dana's fists shook with rage as she pounded on the thick glass window, and her eyes were blinded by her tears. Many miles away, the Invid hordes were descending upon the earth, lusting for the Flower of Life and thirsty for conquest and domination. Like an avenging angel of doom, the blinding light had streaked past Dana's ship as it passed the orbit of Mars, paying the ship no mind, interested in one thing and one thing only. When Marie called out on the intercom that the Invid invasion had arrived at last, Dana had raced to the observation deck.  
  
"No!" Dana cried for what seemed like the one hundredth time as everyone else arrived on the deck behind her to witness the Invid invasion.  
  
For a long time, the whole group stood there, Dana pressing her hands against the window, and the rest of the group standing in shocked silence. Finally, Angelo stepped forward and put a reassuring hand on Dana's shoulder.  
  
"Dana-" Angelo began.  
  
"I was afraid, Angie," Dana said at last.  
  
"Afraid?"  
  
"I was afraid I wouldn't be able to bring myself to watch. Look at that," Dana gestured to the distant flashes of light, which signified the destruction taking place so far away.  
  
"There's the world my parents fought so hard to protect, the world WE fought so hard to protect, and now it's being destroyed. I could have done more."  
  
Whatever remained of Dana's emotional defenses finally crumbled to dust as she turned and threw herself into Angelo's surprised arms, sobbing into his chest. Speechless, Angelo could think of no other course of action except to put his arms around her and rub her back with his hands in a comforting motion.  
  
"Don't say that, Dana," Angelo said tenderly as Dana continued to cry into his chest. "We all know you did the best job you could. Why, we'd all been lost without you. It might seem like we're running away with our tails between our sorry legs, but that ain't the truth. Truth is, we're not running away; we're staging a 'strategic withdrawal.' One day we're gonna come back with a fleet that's gonna bring the Invid to their knees, and we'll take back our world. Ain't that right, everyone?"  
  
The rest of the group, Louie, Marie, Sean, Bowie, Musica, and Allegra, watched in bittersweet sadness. They tried their best to smile for Angelo when he turned his neck slightly to meet their eyes. The sight of Angelo Dante and Dana Sterling in a prolonged embrace was making the rest of the group a bit uncomfortable, to tell the truth.  
  
"Uh, I think I'll make us some dinner," Marie said awkwardly.  
  
"Great idea, I'll help," Sean said.  
  
Wishing to leave the two alone, each member of the group uttered one excuse or another to leave the observation deck, claiming that they had chores to do on the ship or some other such business.  
  
Alone at last, Dana and Angelo moved away from each other a little. Angelo still had his arms around her, although he had relaxed his embrace of Dana, who blinked away her tears and smiled.  
  
"I'm a wreck, aren't I?"  
  
"You? Ma'am, you're still the toughest lady on this ship."  
  
"You called me 'Ma'am' again," Dana observed. It was the first time Angelo had addressed her as 'Ma'am' since the end of the Second Robotech War.  
  
"Yeah? So I did."  
  
"You know, you're the only one who ever called me that. It's so old fashioned and gentlemanly."  
  
"Gentlemanly? I don't believe anyone has ever accused me of that before."  
  
"Yes Angie," Dana smiled, blushing and averting her eyes shyly, "you are a gentleman to me."  
  
Dana's heart was beating so fast. She was suddenly aware of her physical closeness to the tough old career sergeant. Even more startling to her was the realization of their emotional intimacy as well. She was sharing her innermost feelings with Angelo now, and he was listening to her with infinite patience. It filled her heart with gladness. Could it be? Dana thought back to all her adventures with Angelo. With a sense of wonder, she felt as if she were looking back on her experience with Angelo with new eyes, eyes that were conscious of a growing feeling toward him. They had survived so much together, and through it all, Angelo had always been there for her. Even their disastrous date, when she had dragged him to the theater to see some horrible B movie, and he had embarrassed her by laughing out loud at the film, brought a smile to her heart.  
  
Could it be? Could it be that I love Angelo?  
  
"Thank you, ma'am," Angelo said softly.  
  
"You called me 'Ma'am' again," Dana said.  
  
"Yeah, I did."  
  
"Call me Dana."  
  
Dana's hands rested on Angelo's shoulders. Their faces had drawn so close, almost unwittingly, that they were surprised at how close their lips were to touching.  
  
"Dana," Angelo breathed with affection as they kissed on the observation deck. Dana leaned in and tilted her face upward to meet Angelo's, and she poured into her kiss all her grief and all her love. Only the stars before them bore witness to the truth of their feelings for one another. 


	4. Stars

Author's Note: This story is tied to another story I wrote called "Vanessa's Story." In that story, Vanessa survived the destruction of the SDF-1 in "To the Stars" and went on to have a family of her own. If you like this story, I encourage you to read "Vanessa's Story" also on fanfiction.net, if you haven't already.  
  
* * *  
  
Dana's heart was frozen in time as she stood on the observation deck of the Robotech factory satellite and watched the SDF-3 leave. Slowly and agonizingly, the great alien ship bore her parents away to an uncertain future. The image of Max and Miriya beholding their precious daughter with loving eyes one last time before taking the irrevocable step across the threshold of fate remained fast in Dana's mind. They had looked on her one last time and then turned to board the immense ship, the back-lighting from within the boarding deck of the SDF-3 casting them as two stark silhouettes, before disappearing from view at last. Dana wanted to hold onto the image of her parents smiling one last time on her. She wanted to hear her mother's tender voice telling her "I love you, Dana."  
  
Turning away from the SDF-3, Dana hugged the woman behind her and lost herself in her tears.  
  
Vanessa Leeds gently wrapped her arms around Dana and held her close.  
  
"They're gone, Aunty," Dana said between sobs. "They're really gone."  
  
"Dana, let's watch the SDF-3."  
  
Vanessa led Dana by the hand to a large window nearby, where several dozen onlookers also watched the SDF-3 depart on its mission to Tirol.  
  
The distance between the SDF-3 and Earth widened greatly with each passing minute. It would not be long before the battlefortress would begin a series of hyperspace folding operations that would bring them halfway across the galaxy, to a place that Dana could hardly imagine in her most outlandish dreams.  
  
Vanessa pointed in a direction slightly wide left of the SDF-3's current course heading, to a small cluster of stars that, to the untrained eye, looked like nothing more than any other group of stars. Dana's eyes followed Vanessa's slender fingertip as it touched the window softly and came to rest.  
  
"You see that? That's where they're going. That's the location of Tirol's star system."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"It's so very far away," Dana said in quiet wonder.  
  
"Now you'll always know where your mom and dad are," Vanessa said. "They'll always be right there, and they'll always be thinking of you, I promise you that."  
  
"I'm glad you're still here, Aunty."  
  
"So am I," Vanessa smiled as she and Dana watched the stars. "You're always welcome to come over to my house. Bron and Sam will love to see you. I think we'll be seeing a lot of each other."  
  
Dana turned to Vanessa and smiled through her tears. Vanessa reached out to Dana with her hand, and Dana took Vanessa's hand in her own. Together, they watched the SDF-3 for a long time, before the bright, brief flash of light enveloped the ship, signifying its leap to hyperspace.  
  
* * *  
  
"What do you think about when you look at the stars?"  
  
Bowie Grant's voice shook Dana from her stargazing reverie. Dana turned to regard Bowie with a smile. At Dana's suggestion, they had hopped on their bikes and ridden to a hill that overlooked the "Three Mounds," where there lay buried in the dirt the remains of the SDF-1, the SDF-2, and Khyron's battlecruiser. Without any ambient light from Monument City, the stars shone brightly in the night sky.  
  
It was Dana's thirteenth birthday, and she had gone over to Vanessa's home with Bowie to celebrate. At that dinner, Dana shocked everyone by announcing her intention to enter the Robotech Academy, in the fast-track program.  
  
"I'm going to graduate by the time I turn sixteen," Dana said.  
  
"Yeah, Dana can't stand the thought of me being in the army and not her," Bowie chuckled. "Makes her envious."  
  
"Oh, be quiet, Bowie," Dana said in mock approbation. "You know you'd be completely clueless without me around to back you up. I know you're jumping for joy inside."  
  
"Wow, Dana," Vanessa's eight-year old daughter, Samantha, said, "that's wonderful."  
  
Rico, Konda, Bron, and Vanessa joined in showing how proud they were of their beloved "Little Dana."  
  
Vanessa, sitting next to Bron, rose from her seat at the dining table and lit the thirteen candles on Dana's birthday cake. It was a delicious Barvarian peach cake, with the words, "Happy Birthday Dana" inscribed in the center, along with a small Veritech made of frosting as an embellishment.  
  
"Our Little Dana has grown up so fast," Vanessa said as she walked over to Dana's side, brought the cake before her, and kissed her softly on the cheek. Dana closed her eyes and tried her best not to cry. She thought she detected a hint of sadness, mixed with pride and loving admiration, in Vanessa's voice. It was almost as if, at that moment, Vanessa was trying to tell Dana how much she cherished her company. Every day, every heartbeat, is so precious, Vanessa seemed to say. Children grow up so fast, we all grow old so quickly, the world changes so much so quickly, that it's all too easy to lose sight of the here and now. We must always hold onto moments like these in our hearts, Dana. There will come a day when we will no longer all be together.  
  
The thought that she, Bowie, Vanessa, Bron, little Samantha, Rico, and Konda might not be together as a sort of "family" made Dana inexpressibly sad. A black hole of grief opened up within the depths of her troubled soul.  
  
Things change, Dana reflected. People change. Friends and loved ones come in and out of my life. Some will never return. Here I am, leaving my home to become an officer in the Army of the Southern Cross. Some things will never be the same again.  
  
"Don't cry, it's your birthday," Bron said softly, noticing the tears of bittersweet sadness forming on Dana's cheeks.  
  
"I promise," Dana stammered, trying to put on a cheerful face, "I promise to visit you guys every chance you get. I'll make sure Bowie comes too. You'll hardly notice we're gone!"  
  
"I know you will," Vanessa said as she hugged Dana and held her close.  
  
"Make a wish, sweetie," Vanessa whispered.  
  
Dana made her wish and blew out the candles.  
  
That was all just an hour ago, but it seemed like an eternity. Something had changed in Dana, and she knew her life with Vanessa's family would be changed in ways she could not dare to imagine. And now she was alone with her childhood friend Bowie, looking at the stars.  
  
"What do you think about when you look at the stars?" Bowie asked.  
  
Dana pointed at the night sky. "What do I think about?"  
  
Dana pondered the question in silence.  
  
"I think about my family," Dana said as she pointed. "See where I'm pointing? That's where my parents are. That's where both of our parents are. Right now, they're thinking of me, Bowie. They're wondering what I'm doing, they're wondering if I'm happy here on earth. And I am happy. I'm happy I have a family here that loves me. I have a family out there too, thinking of me, and loving me. And I'm thinking of them and how I love them so much. Sometimes I think of just flying right out there, all by myself, floating along like a feather in the wind, and finding my parents at last."  
  
"That's a nice thought," Bowie said.  
  
"What do YOU think about," Dana said in a teasing voice. "Your latest crush?"  
  
Bowie was always struck by how Dana could shift from dead seriousness to flippancy in a second.  
  
"I think about music," Bowie said.  
  
"Music? Oh, come on, that's a cop-out."  
  
"When I look at the stars, I hear music. I hear a song. There's an angel, playing a song for me on the piano, and she's so beautiful. It's just me and her at the piano, out in space, with the stars all around us. I want to come closer to her, I want to touch her and put my arms around her. When I see her, I know, I just know, that she's not like the other girls, that she's special. I feel so-so-"  
  
Bowie stopped, embarrassed. "I'm just talking nonsense. It's just a stupid dream."  
  
"No," Dana said, looking over at Bowie as they lay side by side on the grassy hill and felt the cool breeze caressing them in the night, "It's not stupid at all. It's wonderful to have a dream like that."  
  
* * *  
  
Dana lay on a couch in the ship's lounge, staring at the ceiling. Marie had informed everyone that they would be reaching the Tirol star system in a matter of days. They were making a series of leaps through hyperspace, following very much the same path that the SDF-3 had taken many years ago. Dana pictured herself as the feather, floating through space, on a rendezvous with destiny.  
  
"What are you thinking about?" Bowie's voice interrupted Dana's thoughts, and Dana turned to regard Bowie fondly.  
  
"Remember how we used to lie on the hill at night and talk about our dreams?"  
  
Bowie nodded.  
  
"I was just thinking about how our dreams are coming true," Dana said.  
  
Musica appeared behind Bowie and took his hand. Bowie turned to her and smiled, acknowledging the truth of Dana's words. 


	5. I Have a Sister

On board the starship bound for Tirol, Dana and her friends celebrated the ending of their journey. Within three days, they would complete the final leg of their journey. The last space fold would bring them to the orbit of Tirol, where they could hopefully make contact with the Robotech forces stationed there. It had been a few days since the first kiss between Dana and Angelo, and everyone on board was acutely aware of the budding romance that had blossomed at last. Sean Phillips declared over dinner that he had always known that Dana and Angelo would end up together.  
  
"Yes," Sean swaggered as he walked up and down the dining table.  
  
Everyone on board was present at the dinner table, listening to the former officer deliver his toast to Dana. Marie put her hands to her eyes, unable to bring herself to watch the man she loved creating such a spectacle. As always, she thought to herself ruefully.  
  
"Yes, I don't claim to be an expert on human behavior," Sean rambled on, "but I could always tell that Dana and Angelo were made for each other."  
  
"Even when Dana was-" Sean stopped himself from mentioning Zor. That would NOT be a good idea.  
  
"I mean, even when Dana and Angelo were fighting together in the 15th like a couple of regular soldiers, I could tell that Angelo had the hots for her. He used to tell us, 'that lieutenant is really something!' While we were all fighting for our lives, running around in those Hovertanks, Angelo was secretly trying to get Dana to fall in love with him, until finally he charmed his way into her heart."  
  
"And so," Sean said, raising his glass of wine, "I propose a toast to Dana and Angelo. A new couple is born!"  
  
Everyone raised their glasses to cheer Dana and Angelo, who sat together blushing like a couple of junior high schoolers. After a couple of minutes, the focus of attention finally drifted away from Dana and Angelo, and everyone got to eating their dinners and having their separate conversations. Dana leaned her head on Angelo's shoulder.  
  
"I know when I first began to fall in love with you," Dana said softly.  
  
"Yeah? When was that?"  
  
"I think it began for me the day the war ended."  
  
* * *  
  
Dana staggered toward the landing craft where all her friends were assembled, watching the spores of the Flower of Life disperse across the earth. She was numb with shock and heartbreak. The war of the Robotech Masters was over. She had a sister. And Zor was dead.  
  
Louie saw Dana first. He pointed.  
  
"Look, it's the Lieutenant!" Louie shouted.  
  
Everyone, Angelo, Sean, Marie, Nova, Musica, Bowie, and Allegra turned to see Dana approaching.  
  
"Dana!" Angelo cried as he ran out to meet Dana.  
  
Angelo slowed as he neared his commanding officer. "Dana, what's wrong?"  
  
Dana's lips were trembling, and tears were forming in her eyes.  
  
"Oh, Angie!" Dana cried as she tumbled forward, into Angelo's arms. They wrapped their arms around each other.  
  
"When I saw that ship explode, I was afraid you were on it," Angelo said.  
  
Dana began sobbing inconsolably. Angelo felt his heart breaking for her, and he knew that something terrible had happened on that ship. Something having to do with Zor. She'd always had a strange fascination with Zor, akin to a romantic interest. If only she knew how much I cared for her, Angelo thought to himself. I could give her so much of myself. I would be so happy to share my life with her. I would always take care of her.  
  
Dana paused to look into Angelo's eyes. He's so strong, Dana thought. He's so strong for me when I am so weak. Dana felt a strange comfort being in his arms.  
  
"What happened?" Angelo asked after a long silence. The rest of their friends were gathered around the two in a circle. No one spoke for a moment. Everyone hung on Dana's every word.  
  
"Zor sacrificed himself to destroy the flagship," Dana explained between her tears. "But he died for nothing. You see these spores, floating around all over the place?"  
  
Everyone turned to look around them, at the spores spreading across the land like a cloud of ill omen.  
  
"These are the spores of the Flower of Life. The Invid are going to come and destroy us all. It's just as Musica warned us. We fought this whole rotten war for nothing."  
  
Dana calmed herself and managed to stop crying. She wiped her eyes on her arms and looked around to face each of her friends. They all stared at her in sad shock and despair.  
  
* * *  
  
"What I am about to ask of you, I ask as your friend, not your commanding officer," Dana began.  
  
Dana, Angelo, Bowie, Musica, Allegra, Louie, Sean, and Marie sat around a small table in a broken down, utterly trashed, abandoned café in Monument City. Like much of the rest of the district, it bore the ugly scars left by the devastating final battle of the second Robotech War. Elsewhere in Monument City, Nova Satori and Dennis Brown were helping the remnants of the Global Military Police to organize efforts to provide emergency shelter and supplies to the war-weary citizens, many of whom had fled during the final battle but had trickled back, exhausted and discouraged, to start their lives anew.  
  
"Uh oh," Bowie said, not sure he liked the serious tone of Dana's voice. "Sounds like it involves something dangerous."  
  
Dana smiled. In the dim light of the single battery operated lamp that sat squarely on the center of the round table, Dana had a devilish gleam in her eye. She had "The Look." It was the same look she'd had on her face the night the 15th Squadron violated orders by gaining access to Zor's hospital room. While her teammates tricked Nova into leaving the hospital, Dana, dressed up as a nurse, had jumped into Zor's room and questioned him at gunpoint.  
  
This was the kind of dangerous, rule-violating mission that Dana evidently had in mind.  
  
"You're right," Dana said to Bowie, "you all know me too well. There's something I didn't tell you about what happened yesterday on that flagship."  
  
"What?" Louie asked, as eager to know as everyone else.  
  
"I had a vision of my sister."  
  
"Your sister?" everyone asked in unison.  
  
"I didn't know you had a sister," Angelo remarked.  
  
"I was under the influence of the protoculture, and my sister came and spoke to me. I never even got her name, but I got a warning. A warning about the Flower of Life and the Invid. I saw her, Angie. I saw her as clear as day. She was such an adorable little thing. My parents spoke to me in the vision, too."  
  
"Are you sure it was real?" Bowie said, skeptical.  
  
"I'm sure. I have to trust my feelings. My heart is telling me that it's true, that I have a sister who has the power of communicating with me from across the galaxy. They're out there. I haven't forgotten my dream of finding my family, Bowie. With the Invid on their way, I may never get another chance to leave the earth and find them. And when we do find them, we'll be able to let Rick and Lisa Hunter know what's happened here. I know it sounds a little selfish, and you have every right to refuse to help me, but-"  
  
"But you need a ship," Sean said.  
  
"And you need us to help get one," Marie guessed correctly.  
  
"There's a few ships at the northeast launching grounds," Dana informed them. "I scouted out the area this morning. Some of them are damaged beyond repair, but a few of them look spaceworthy. They're under heavy guard by what's left of the Army of the Southern Cross, right now. If we're caught, we could be executed. I'm asking all of you, as a friend, to help me steal a ship."  
  
Dana looked at the faces of each of her friends, and at that moment, she knew from their determined expressions that they were all with her. They were all loyal to their leader, and they would follow her to the ends of the earth.  
  
"I'm so glad," Dana said, deeply touched.  
  
"We move tomorrow night." 


	6. Destiny

Dana and Angelo crouched low behind the boulder on the outskirts of the launching grounds, located in the northeast section of Monument City. There were six starships, two of which appeared relatively undamaged. A squad of Hovertanks stood guard near the ships, while twenty soldiers stood guard along the perimeter.  
  
Dana's heart was racing. It was a dangerous plan. While she and Angelo created a diversion, the rest of the group, consisting of Bowie, Musica, Sean, Louie, and Allegra would race in on hovercycles in the ensuing confusion, board one of the vessels, take off, and escape. Marie would provide air support in her Ajax. Meanwhile, Dana and Angelo would make a run for it on their hovercycles and rendezvous with the rest of the group twenty miles southwest of the city.  
  
"If Angelo and I aren't there in three days, it means we were caught," Dana had said at the meeting in the café the night before.  
  
"What are we supposed to do if that happens?" Bowie had asked.  
  
"You leave without us."  
  
"But Dana-"  
  
"No buts, Bowie," Dana had said sternly, "Your mission is to evacuate this planet at all costs. We have to make contact with Hunter's expeditionary forces and let them know what happened here."  
  
Dana swallowed hard. She had arrived at the critical juncture of her destiny. Her entire future depended on her success with this mission.  
  
"Are you ready with the charges, Angie?"  
  
"Almost, ma'am," Angelo replied. He paused in the darkness to take another look at the guard forces. With the destruction of the command headquarters and the deaths of most of the top commanding officers, including Commander Leonard, there had been a general breakdown of command structure within the Army of the Southern Cross. Although a large number of surviving soldiers was committed to rebuilding, there were a few who were more interested in looting and profiteering. Judging from the crates of supplies stacked outside the ships, Angelo figured that these particular soldiers were in the latter camp.  
  
Dana looked through her binoculars and spotted her friends on hovercycles, about a hundred yards away.  
  
"It's time," Dana said. "Detonate the charges!"  
  
Angelo shoved down the lever of the detonator, and at once, a dozen explosive charges placed behind boulders and chunks of debris went off, sending a shudder through the entire area and lighting up the entire perimeter. Shouts of alarm went off throughout the squad of defending soldiers as they rushed toward the site of the explosions, followed by the Veritech hovertanks. In the confusion, no one noticed the small group of hovercycles speed in through another section of the perimeter.  
  
The plan was working. The rest of the group was making a bee-line for one of the ships. One of the soldiers who had hung back noticed them and fired on the hovercycles, but Sean cut him down with his laser rifle.  
  
"The ships! They're after the ships!" someone shouted.  
  
Dana and Angelo suddenly rose from their position of cover and opened fire on the soldiers, trying to stop them from backtracking toward their ships. The entire scene was one of mass confusion now, as the soldiers fired blindly on Dana and Angelo, while at the same time trying to head back to stop their ships from being stolen. The darkness was illuminated now only by the light of the combatants' laser rifles.  
  
The hovertanks had made it back to the ships and were bent on stopping the theft. Without warning, Marie's Ajax dove in from above and launched all of its missiles, destroying two of the hovertanks. Marie climbed quickly, out of range of the remaining hovertanks, who were attempting to return fire. It was just what Sean and Bowie needed as together, they piloted the stolen ship out of the launching grounds and took the ship away from the scene.  
  
Smiling with satisfaction, Dana motioned for Angelo for them to withdraw immediately. They hopped onto their hovercycles and sped off into the night.  
  
"After them!" Dana heard voices behind her saying. They weren't out of the woods yet. The two remaining hovertanks were hot in pursuit, firing their laser cannons. Dana and Angelo zigged and zagged as they sped away, trying to evade the enemy's fire. One of the enemy's blasts caught Dana's hovercycle, however, and Dana felt her vehicle spin out of control. Dana was forced to jump off her hovercycle, and she landed roughly on the ground, tumbling in the gravel. Angelo's hovercycle skidded to a halt just ahead as he turned to see what had happened to Dana.  
  
"Go, leave me!" Dana urged weakly.  
  
"No way," Angelo cried as he hopped off his bike and went to her side, intending to carry her onto his bike.  
  
But it was too late. The two pursuing hovertanks caught up with Dana and Angelo, and their pilots leapt out of their cockpits with guns in their hands, ready to fire.  
  
"Don't move or we'll shoot you to pieces," one of the soldiers said. The rest of the squad of soldiers was on hovercycles, not far behind.  
  
One of the hovertank pilots walked up to Dana, who lay on the ground in pain, and kicked her in the abdomen.  
  
"You son of a bitch!" Angelo cried.  
  
A soldier pistol-whipped Angelo in the face, and he crumpled to the ground in pain.  
  
Lying on the ground, Dana gingerly felt her ribs. They seemed to have been bruised in the fall. She had suffered no broken bones. But now it seemed to be the end of the road. The soldiers gathering around her and Angelo now lowered their rifles, preparing to execute them.  
  
"Hold it right there!"  
  
Dana blinked. She was still alive. The soldiers hadn't shot her yet. Who had just spoken? It was a female voice, one she thought she recognized.  
  
"This ain't your business," one of the soldiers snarled.  
  
"Everything is the business of the Global Military Police," the voice of Nova Satori said.  
  
Nova had arrived with a dozen other police officers, all on hovertanks. Nova rode a hovercycle herself.  
  
"You're all under arrest," Nova declared. "Drop your weapons and come quietly, or we'll shoot you all where you stand."  
  
"But these two," one of the soldiers complained, "these two here helped some bastards steal our ship!"  
  
"Shut the hell up, you deserters," Nova snapped.  
  
Nova motioned to her officers to arrest the soldiers and take them away.  
  
"I'll deal with these two," Nova said, referring to Dana and Angelo. She turned to her subordinates. "You go on ahead."  
  
"Yes, Lieutenant," the GMP officer said.  
  
The GMP did a quick sweep of the area to make sure they had apprehended everyone. Nova watched as the GMP officers piloted the hovertanks away, toward the direction of Monument City. When the others had left, Nova turned to Dana and Angelo, who lay on the dirt, watching her silently and expectantly. They were illuminated only by the light on Nova's hovercycle.  
  
Nova's stern countenance melted into a smile.  
  
"Come on," Nova chided them, "you didn't think I was actually going to arrest you, did you?"  
  
Angelo breathed a sigh of relief. Nova helped Angelo to his feet, before turning to help Dana.  
  
"You did have us going for a minute there," Angelo said with a grin.  
  
"Are you all right, Dana?" Nova said.  
  
"I'll be fine, thanks," Dana muttered, grimacing a little from her hurt ribs.  
  
"You came just in the nick of time," Angelo said.  
  
"Well, the explosions and the gunfire could be heard for miles," Nova said. "But actually, I knew you were going to be here. I had you followed out here, Dana. I knew you were up to something."  
  
"Why didn't you try to stop us?" Dana asked, confused.  
  
"Things are changing around here, Dana. Some people know that there's an invasion coming soon, but others don't believe it. The army's not as organized as it once was. The GMP isn't as effective in maintaining discipline. It won't be long before the GMP disbands altogether. We're all holding on by a thin thread, but you and I know perfectly well that there's going to be another war, and we're going to lose that war."  
  
"Then join us," Dana urged, glad to know that Nova was still her friend. "We're going to leave here and find the Robotech forces on Tirol. They're our only hope."  
  
Nova shook her head and smiled.  
  
"I have a life here," Nova said. "I have someone that I love. I want to settle down with him and have a family. This is my home. This is where I belong. We'll wait out this war and see what happens."  
  
Dana knew that Nova was talking about Dennis Brown, the courageous pilot whom Nova had fallen in love with. In the days following the final battle of Monument City, Dana had often seen Nova and Dennis together. The two of them were building a life together. Unlike Dana, who was convinced that her fate lay in the stars, Nova's destiny was inextricably tied to their home world. Somehow, in this war torn world where prospects appeared bleaker by the day, the two of them would find a way to survive, sustained by the strength of their love.  
  
"Let's go," Angelo said to Dana. "We can ride on my bike."  
  
Dana turned to Nova. Both of them knew that this could very well be the last time they would ever see each other.  
  
Nova held out her hand.  
  
"Dana," she said.  
  
Dana stepped forward and threw her arms around Nova, hugging her close.  
  
"I'm glad we could be friends," Dana said. "I'm glad to see you had a heart after all."  
  
Nova laughed.  
  
"I'll be thinking about you," she said.  
  
Dana climbed onto Angelo's bike and put her arms around his waist. She waved at Nova, who waved back. Angelo and Dana took off into the night. Nova hung back for a few minutes, alone with her thoughts. Finally, Nova sighed wistfully, and she hopped onto her bike and sped back to the city.  
  
* * *  
  
"Turn here, Angie," Dana said.  
  
"What? But aren't we headed to the rendezvous point?"  
  
"We are, but we're taking a detour," Dana said as they cruised through the remains of Monument City.  
  
Angelo turned to the right, just as Dana had instructed.  
  
"What about the rest of the group? Aren't they waiting for us?"  
  
"There's someone I need to see before I leave," Dana said as they pulled up in front of the home of Vanessa Leeds. Part of the wall on one side had caved in, but the rest of the house was fairly intact. Vanessa had returned to live at her old home, for the moment. Dana knew she would be leaving tomorrow. It was no coincidence that Dana had planned her raid on the ship launching grounds on this very night.  
  
Vanessa heard them arrive, and she walked out to meet them in front of the house.  
  
"Hello, Dana," Vanessa said as Dana slowly got off the bike. Vanessa turned to greet Angelo.  
  
"Evening, ma'am," Angelo nodded.  
  
"Aunty, you know Angie," Dana said.  
  
"Of course," Vanessa said.  
  
Dana turned to Angelo and patted his hand, which remained at rest on the handlebar.  
  
"Thanks for not leaving me back there," Dana said.  
  
"I wouldn't ever think of leaving you behind like that," Angelo said emphatically.  
  
"I know," Dana smiled sweetly. For a moment, she forgot herself and stood there smiling at Angelo.  
  
"Well, Dana," Angelo said. "Guess I'll go on to meet the others and tell them to wait."  
  
"I'll be there at sundown tomorrow," Dana said.  
  
Angelo nodded and drove off, leaving Dana and Vanessa alone for their last day together. 


	7. Born Again

With one last look of unshakable longing, Vanessa, with Dana at her side, took leave of the home she had once shared with Bron. They had raised a daughter together in that home, she and Bron, the goofy but endearing Zentraedi she had grown to love with all her heart and soul. Together, they had filled the void, filled the loneliness, and along with the salves of time, had eased the ache brought on by the loss of Kim and Sammie. That loss could never be filled, but the years passed, and with these passing years, the pain of those old memories was supplanted by the happiness of new memories, memories that Vanessa, Bron, and their little daughter Samantha had made together. With Bron at her side, Vanessa had discovered the joy of loving another with a steadfast and sure love, a love that stayed firm with the ravages of time, always faithful and constant. Together, they had shared the joy of creating a wonderful new life together in the form of a darling girl. Bron used to say the darling girl was every bit as sweet and graceful and beautiful as her mother. Vanessa used to blush to hear such words, but she always accepted them gratefully.  
  
"I don't know what I ever did," Vanessa said emotionally as she wiped a tear from her eye.  
  
Together, she and Dana stood on the steps of the damaged home, looking on it sadly for the final time. Vanessa had packed her suitcases and they stood off to one side. She was going to leave now; she was taking a train to the south, to start her life anew.  
  
Dana had her own memories of that blessed home. She cherished the memories of visiting Aunty Vanessa and being welcomed as one of their own. Most of all, she treasured the infinite small moments of kindness that Vanessa, Bron, little Samantha, Rico, and Konda had showered upon her, small moments that in themselves seemed insignificant, but when added up summed to an immense, undeniable truth-  
  
This was a house of love.  
  
"I don't know what I did to deserve such happiness," Vanessa said. Her voice was failing her. She felt a strange, upwelling sensation in the depths of her throat, as if her heart were rising like a feather in the wind.  
  
"I wish Kim and Sammie could have had the life that I had," Vanessa said.  
  
She paused, and Dana looked at her thoughtfully. Vanessa had lived a good life so far. But she had suffered much, as well. Her husband and daughter were dead, killed by the harsh dictates of fate, the fortunes of war.  
  
"We were only together for a short time," Vanessa said. "Fifteen years. But I'm so glad, Dana. When your parents met and fell in love, I often wondered what it would feel like. I wondered what it would be like to hold my own child in my arms. I'll never forget how happy Miriya was when I saw her hold you in her arms for the first time."  
  
And Dana closed her eyes as she pictured herself as a baby, being held in the arms of Miriya.  
  
Miriya lay in her hospital bed, holding a sleeping baby Dana in her arms. She sang a soft lullaby to the child. Max stood by the side of the bed, the proud, happy father.  
  
To Miriya, the feeling of being a mother was an alien one, yet it was strangely wonderful. She felt as if her motherly self was a part of her that had been buried deep within her nature. Her creators had tried to suppress that nature, that loving part of herself, the part of herself that took joy in creating a new life from love, rather than destroying life. But somehow, Max had unearthed this hidden treasure. The joy of motherhood was one that Miriya never wanted to fade away or lesson one bit.  
  
"I'm so happy," Miriya said to Max with a smile. "Every day I'm with you, it's as if I'm discovering something new and wonderful about life that I'd never even known in my dreams. And it's all possible because you love me."  
  
Max sat on a chair and took his wife's hand.  
  
There was so much that Max wanted to say, if only he could organize his thoughts in the midst of his euphoria. Our life together is changing today, he wanted to say. Our life is changing because now we have a daughter, a little girl we will always cherish and joyously watch take each small step in life. But no matter what changes may come, Miriya, you will always be that green haired angel I saw that day in the arcade and about whom I wondered, is it possible that you have a heart that is capable of loving someone like me with a deep and abiding love? And I suppose that deep down, I will always be for you that young human pilot who, instead of killing you, told you that I loved you, by the look of earnest longing in my eyes.  
  
"I love you," Max said simply, at last. "No matter what changes come, I will always love you."  
  
Dana smiled to think of her parents on the day she came into their lives.  
  
"It was the kind of thing I could only dream about happening to me," Vanessa said. "But my dream came true. Even if it was such a short time, I'm glad I had a chance to know what happiness was like. I'm glad I had a chance to know what love is."  
  
Dana thought about what Vanessa had just said. She wanted to turn and hug her Aunty and cry with her. Dana tried hard to think of what she could say to console her beloved friend and Aunty but she felt so inadequate.  
  
"I'm glad I could share those memories with you," Dana said at last, as they turned to leave the old house forever.  
  
* * *  
  
"Dana?"  
  
Dana turned to Angelo and favored him with a smile. They could see Tirol now. Soon she would be with her parents again. She would be home again.  
  
The rest of the group was also with them, on the observation deck. They had arrived at the end of the journey at last.  
  
"We're here," Angelo said softly. "Can you believe it? It seems like it was just yesterday, we were saying goodbye to everyone on earth. And now, here we are. Tirol."  
  
Marie nudged Dana in the arm.  
  
"We're being hailed by the Robotech forces on Tirol, commanded by Admiral Hunter," Marie said, pulling Dana in the direction of the bridge of the ship.  
  
"Care to do the honors?"  
  
Dana pulled herself away from the sight of Tirol. Down there, her parents and sister were waiting for her. For so long, they were distant stars. With trembling hands, Dana punched the keys to activate the transponder.  
  
"This is Dana Sterling," she began, "former first lieutenant with the Fifteenth Alpha Tactical Armored Corps of the Army of the Southern Cross."  
  
* * *  
  
All of Base Tirol was out there. The ship that had brought Dana and her crew halfway across the galaxy had finally arrived and touched down.  
  
"Well," Dana said with an impish smile to the rest of her friends, "we made it. Let's not keep our adoring fans waiting, shall we?"  
  
Dana took Angelo's hand as the giant bay doors opened and the ramp extended down to the landing platform. Together, they led the way down, with the rest of the group following.  
  
"What do you think," Angelo said to Dana as they squinted against the brightness of the light outside. The light filled their ship.  
  
"Do you think your folks will like me?"  
  
"They will," Dana said, smiling against the bright light. "Even if they don't, I'll MAKE them like you."  
  
"Well, THAT'S a relief," Angelo said.  
  
"The question is, will my parents still recognize me? Will they see the little girl they left behind?"  
  
Angelo didn't have to answer that one. Dana knew that part of her would always be that darling little girl. Walking down that ramp was like being born again.  
  
I'm born again, Dana mused thoughtfully. I'm being born into the arms of my family that loves me. And they don't have to hear me say that my love for them hasn't changed one bit. I longed for you. I dreamed of finding you and being with you again. I would have moved heaven and earth just for the chance to see you again, mom and dad.  
  
And Aurora.  
  
There was so much to discover, and rediscover. It would take a lifetime, Dana knew.  
  
With a smile of rapture on her face, Dana walked through the light into the loving arms of her family.  
  
THE END 


End file.
